Read Along With Mad Men...

Why...when I know how horrible smoking is...does a cigarette look so appealing on Mad Men?  And...was Betty actually allowing Sally to play with a dry cleaning bag over her head?   Were all of those pregnant housewives actually smoking and drinking?  Was there actually a time when drinking in the office at all hours of the day was the norm?   Did  secretaries actually hand you your hat and keep extra shirts ready for you at the office?  What is it about this program that is so fascinating?

I absolutely love this show and I am so behind...we cannot catch up...I was reading an article in bookreporter that said a librarian  has created a Mad Men reading list...the list consists of books talked about and featured on the show.  I really never paid that much attention to this before but the list is interesting.  You can check it out with the link above.
And...meanwhile...as soon as there is a rainy sleety or snowy day...I am going to have a MAD MEN MARATHON...perhaps with a bowl of potato chips and some French Onion Dip on the side...and maybe a highball...would that be a proper 50's snack?

The finale of this season of Mad Men is this Sunday night!!!

OMG...Cake In A Jar?

I subscribe to a great foodie newsletter called "Serious Eats".  They post about new food trends, old food trends, best food trends and include lots of tips and recipes.  This was in yesterday's post...cake in a jar!!!   Don't you just want to make it just to say you did?  Plus it is pumpkin and right now I am in love with anything made out of pumpkin...I believe that this idea came from Jessie Oleson, a highly creative blogger, who has a blog called Cakespy.  Jessie is also responsible for something called a "reverse whoopie pie"  and a "pookie".  That would be a pie plus a cookie.  How awesome is that!!!

I am going to make some jars of cake later today...let me know if you made some, too!!!

Hmmm...Not What I Expected And An Amazing Soup!!!

I am not sure how I feel about this book...let's just say I thought it would be really really engrossing and I am not sure that it is. 

Enough said...on to other reading materials...

And another day of making soup...today I am going to make a steaming pot of the "world's best vegetable soup"...according to Mark Bitman...a chef, cookbook author and contributor to the Today Show...

Mark said that the secret to this soup came from an Italian woman he met in Italy...and the secret is a simple one...saute all vegetables in small batches in order to get the most fragrant veggies and broth.  It really doesn't even matter what vegetables you use other than making sure you add carrots and celery and onions...saute them and remove them after each small batch is done...so that is what I am doing.  In addition to those vegetables I am adding spinach and tomato paste and peas and potatoes and lentils and white cannelini beans...mmmm...mmmm...good!!!

That is how soup should be.

A Perfect Fall Supper...



This was last night's dinner...it came from one of my favorite cookbooks...I have slow cooked quite a few of these recipes and they are all wonderful...fresh and full of vegetables and really easy to put together.  This chicken dish was just so good...the squash and potatoes and carrots and onion and garlic just worked together to make this moist and just really delightful.  I did not even make the green stuff to go on top...yesterday was a busy day and I was not in the mood to do something extra...and it really didn't need anything extra.  The only extra thing that I did was to gently cook on top of the stove all of the leftover squash and potatoes and onions and garlic ( I had tons because I was just chopping away without measuring ) in a box of vegetable or chicken stock...I simmered this until all of the veggies were soft  and then just immersed my stick blender into the pot...and smooshed everything into a creamy soup...the color was orange, of course and it was beautiful.  I seasoned it with a bit of sage and thyme and salt and pepper...there was no need to add cream at all...I dabbed a bit of sour cream on the top with the toasted squash seeds that I made earlier...my husband begged for more!!!

This is the cookbook that made this dinner possible...

What An Inspiring Quote...

"A great book should leave you with many experiences, and slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading."

— William Styron

Walking The Line Between Human And Fairy?

I just finished this a few minutes ago and it was really lovely.  Sort of mystical but with tons of dangerously evil characters and lots of running for your life...love that kind of a book...it was quite fun to read.  I have been avoiding books about fairies for a while but this one was quite good.  Not really in the mood to officially review it...just saying that it was time well spent.  I loved the fact that the fairy world was known to humans and that you could travel there.  All  you need to get there is a passport and a ticket to  to London.  From there it is easy to get to Avalon...the home of the fae.

Dana...the main character...has powers that she is unaware of.  She has lived in the human world for all of her life.  She is going to Avalon to find her father and that is where all of the excitement and mystery begin.